The Houston Astros will look to move closer to a postseason berth when they visit the Seattle Mariners in the finale of a two-game series on Wednesday night.
With five games remaining in the regular season, the Astros (78-79) moved into a tie with the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West with Tuesday’s 7-0 victory over the Mariners (73-84).
Texas dropped a 6-3 home contest to the New York Mets.
Houston started the series opener with four singles in a row and outhit the Mariners 12-4. Despite the victory, the Astros have lost 10 of their last 15 games, and manager Joe Espada said his club knows there is little margin for error with its season on the line.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Espada said. “You have to do whatever it takes to win every game. It starts with our offense setting the tone and scoring some runs early, giving our pitching staff some room to work.”
Seattle enters the series finale with its elimination number in the division race at one. A Mariners loss on Wednesday, or a win by Texas over the Mets, would eliminate Seattle from postseason contention.
If the Astros outlast the Rangers and Mariners for the AL West title, they will have done so on the road. Following the series finale in Seattle, Houston will visit the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif., for four games to close the regular season. The Astros are 39-37 on the road this season.
“We are embracing this opportunity,” Espada said. “We are really excited about this opportunity.”
He said another quick start will be important against a Seattle pitching staff that has challenged his club.
“You’ve got to punch these guys first,” Espada said. “Their pitching has always been really good against us. We have to set the tone.”
The Mariners on Wednesday will start right-hander George Kirby (9-11, 4.24 ERA), who will look to regain his form against an Astros team he has handled throughout his career. Houston will start right-hander Ethan Pecko (1-0, 3.77).
Kirby is 6-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 12 career appearances against Houston, striking out 63 and walking 11 over 67 2/3 innings.
In his previous start, a 7-2 road win over the Los Angeles Angels last Wednesday, Kirby received a no-decision, allowing two runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. He is seeking his first victory since Aug. 25.
“I just know I haven’t really been feeling like myself lately,” Kirby said. “I feel really good out there, and then I just don’t play like George Kirby … So it’s just been frustrating.”
Pecko got a no-decision in his last outing, a 6-2 win over Kansas City on Sept. 17. He allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks over 5 2/3 innings. He has never faced the Mariners.
Seattle was shut out for the 15th time this season and managed just four hits on Tuesday, as manager Dan Wilson lamented the Mariners’ lack of hitting with runners in scoring position this season.
“What we’ve talked about over the course of the year (is) runners in scoring position,” Wilson said. “It has been an issue, and we haven’t been able to convert a lot of times when we have traffic.”
–Field Level Media
